I am in the process of restoring the interior of my Levin AE86. After removing the bucket seat and roll cage, I decided I want to restore the interior to the original zenki (i.e. early model) maroon interior. Non-faded seats in that color are extremely sought after by Initial D enthusiasts.
Good seats are impossible to find or incredibly expensive, so I went a different strategy: I bought the cheapest seat off yahoo auctions and replaced the fabric using the TimeMachine reproduction AE86 seat covers.
I ordered a complete JDM maroon set from TimeMachine86. I documented the restoration with a few pictures and would like to share my impression.
Before you read on, let me tell you that I am a perfectionist when it comes to restoring cars. I am looking for perfect quality that is indistinguishable from OEM. My standards are very high. On top of that, I am German and we are known for direct and straightforward feedback. This review may sound harsh.
Disassembly
Buying the cheapest seat I could find was a huge mistake. It was incredibly gross, and the seat frame was cracked and severely rusted, requiring welding and reinforcement.
I welded and repainted the seat frame. The foam was repaired.
Fabric Color Mismatch
The maroon fabric of the upper seat rest struck me. As you can see on the photo below, the color is quite far off the OEM fabric. Yes, the original fabric is sun-faded, but the area I photographed is from the inner backside where the fabric retained it’s original color.
The reproduction cover fabric is not really maroon – more of an orange hue.
Especially on the rear bench this color difference is incredibly obvious, when comparing it to the vinyl quarter trim pieces. The feel of the fabric is different, too: the stock factory feels like proper fabric, the replacement feels more synthetic and plushy.
The fabric may not be the perfect choice, but the stitching looks good, and closely resembles the OEM pattern. Compared to the orange fabric, they’ve nailed material choice for the brown leather. The pattern is slightly more accented than the original, but the color is a perfect match.
The two side parts on the head rest are not included in the set, and these are still wrapped in the original fake leather that is now 40 years old. The original leather tends to turn dark blueish after the years – originally, it would have been a very dark brown color.
The fitment quality is very good. The center part fits perfectly, but the two side support pieces feel a bit tight. Looking at the pictures, you can see that the upper corners of the side pieces are slightly pushed to the outside (see the picture below).
My seat is not the only problem with this issue, if you look closely on the shop website, you’ll see the same slight distortion on their pictures.
Glossy Fabric and Wrinkles
I am not happy with the choice of fabric for the maroon part, but the seat base fabric is even worse. It feels super synthetic and is glossy. Also, even after applying as much tension as possible, there are wrinkles left in the seat base that I couldn’t get rid off.
Also, the cut pattern of the seat back is different compared to the OEM seats.
See the original seat on the driver’s side for comparison.
They may have done this to increase the robustness? One can argue that this is a minor thing, and most people wouldn’t bother, but I think you should have a chance to know this before you buy.
Restoring The Plastic Trim Pieces
The reproduction kit does not include anything than the seat covers. Plastic trim, foam and even the spring metal wires must be reused. On my seat, the plastic trim was faded. I can’t put new seat covers on without taking care of this as well!
After giving the parts a good wash, I restored the brown color by first scraping off the sun-damaged plastic with a soft plastic scraper. The lose part of the plastic will come off as gray powder. Then, I used a heat gun to carefully heat up the plastic – just enough to restore the color.
If you do this yourself, use a high quality heat gun that can be temperature-adjusted. You need to perfectly time the point where the color starts restoring, but not to the point where it starts melting. For the final finish, I use a Japanese-made plastic refresher from Ohajiki.
The Passenger Seat is Completed
Overall, I would rate the TimeMachine86 seat cover set a solid 3 out of 5. I can’t deny that the restored seat looks amazing – it really looks and feels like new. The fabric is firm again and it’s a just pleasure to look at it and to sit down.
The fitment is good, but I am disappointed with the choice of fabrics. The part that should be maroon is actually a bright orange, which is quite far off of the OEM material. The lower seat covers are slightly purple. On top of that, the material look and feel did not convince me.
Considering the price, I still think it’s a good buy, especially since there are few alternatives.
The fake leather, on the other hand, is a great choice. The color fits well, and the only complaint I have is that the pattern is slightly more accented.
Am I happy that this product exists? Absolutely! Will it make you happy? Pretty sure it will! Does it satisfy a die-hard perfectionist? Unfortunately, it doesn’t. If you want to have results that are indistinguishable from OEM, reach out to an experienced professional upholstery service.
If the fabric choice improves in the future, I may consider buying again. Let’s not forget that the AE86 was never available new in China, so they may have never seen the original seat fabric. I hope that over time, the fabric choices improve, and I may risk buying it again in a couple of years.